Criminal Minds
by GHWritersBlock
Summary: Dante's past and future collide.
1. Chapter 1

Criminal Minds

Chapter One

It was a cold December day in Port Charles and its citizens were a-buzz with holiday shopping, Christmas decorations and dealing with the latest round of murders caused by its out of control mobsters.

Detective Dante Falconeri couldn't help but frown at the irony. Christmas time was usually his favorite time of year, but lately, he felt anything but holiday cheer. The fond memories of large Italian get-togethers in Brooklyn were clouded by his overwhelming frustration that his hard work was getting him nowhere.

He had obtained evidence that would put any other criminal behind bars but not Sonny Corinthos. For some reason the mob boss had some impenetrable shield that no one could touch. Dante had half a mind to quit and go back to Bensonhurst, at the very least to have a break from lying day in and day out to those around him and then move on to the next undercover beat.

But his pride was something else. Mr. Pirelli's haunting memory and how he had taken care of him as a little boy kept him going forward. But then there were Sonny's children, especially Morgan. He was scared of how Morgan would look at him once the mob boss was behind bars. And Lulu Spencer... she was another factor in his hesitation.

He sighed deeply. He had never pursued a woman undercover unless it was to use her to get information. But Lulu was different. At first, he enjoyed the flirtation between them and wrote her off as another pretty girl. As time went on, however, she kept being thrown into his sphere and his initial attraction became more.

Now, she knew he was undercover, knew his real name and was keeping his secret. The fact that she had not told anyone else about his "true identity" told him a lot about her character, at least she could be trusted. That made him feel a little better.

As he reached the edge of the Elm Street peer he stared out at the lights radiating from the Haunted Star. He was starting to feel desperation. He wanted Corinthos behind bars. The question was how badly and how much would he lose in the process?

*******

On the other side of town, Lulu Spencer was having a hard time catching the words coming out of her best friends mouth. Maxie had recently had a one-night stand with a reclusive if not creepy, yet admittedly sexy artist that was in town and was feeling immense guilt. As much as Lulu loved her friend, she was caught in the middle and was yet again, harboring someone else's secret.

"Lulu! Can you please for one minute just listen to me? How am I supposed to help Jason find Franco without letting Spinelli know that I cheated? And how do I find him to do the Crimson shoot?" Maxie said, pacing up and down her apartment, short of breath.

"Oh my God, I might have a panic attack-wait-call 911, I'm going to faint!" Maxie all but screamed. "Oh god! Why did I do this, I mean this is like vintage Maxie, not the reformed Maximista Spinelli has recently non-wedded! Lulu, what do I do?"

"Maxie! Chill. I already told you, you need to tell Spinelli what happened. I know this sounds trite but you really need to come clean," Lulu said. "It's not fair to Spinelli to keep this from him."

"Lulu, that's the worst advice I've ever heard," Maxie said rolling her eyes. "Not only will Spinelli hate me for life, but I could risk losing my job if Kate ever finds out I slept with Franco while on the clock. No, no. I'm not going to come clean. I just have to find a way to make it up to Spinelli--you know without him knowing that I did anything wrong in the first place and you are going to help me in my mission."

"Ok, for the record I still think you should just talk to Spinelli. Oh, and if this involves anymore sex costumes, I'm out." Lulu said.

*****

In a dark studio overlooking Port Charles, a shadowy figure sits throwing darts at photographs glued to a canvas. A bloody "X" was drawn over a picture of Maxie Jones. A makeshift target drawn over Lulu Spencer's face


	2. Chapter 2

Graystone Manor

"The cops just took me into questioning about the shootout, Sonny. They don't have anything, yet." Jason said quietly. He was tired. Tired of being on the look-out for someone constantly coming out after him and his family. Tired of justifying what he did each and every day. More than anything, he was tired of killing.

"Spinelli made it look like the surveillance cameras in front of the courthouse broke down that day, but that homeless guy and this artist Franco--they're the same person and he's got this over me... I gotta find him and see what he knows about Claudia's murder."

"Do whatever it takes." Sonny said tersely. His dark eyes were brooding as all his control went to steady the hand he had pointed at his enforcer. "I do not want this to come back to Michael. If I have to, I'll take the fall for Claudia's murder, but I don't want it to come to that."

Jason faced his boss with a sturdy stance. There was no way in hell it would come to that. He just needed to figure this Franco guy out. Find his M.O. and stop him before he had a chance to spill his guts.

"Spinelli is closing in on some spaces around town that may be used as studios. We're thinking this guy is using a run-down building, something that keeps him low-key." Jason said running a hand over his face. "The fact that he dressed up as a homeless man makes me think he likes observing others without being detected. I got to stay one step ahead of him."

"This creep needs to be stopped, Jason. I hope that the speech you made to me last week about quitting the enforcement part of your job won't get in the way of keeping Michael safe."

Jason sighed. "It won't."

******

Crimson Offices

Lulu was looking over Kate's design layout for the spring issue of Crimson. Kate's plan was to beat Vogue in sales for their Spring Fashion layout and the ace in her hand was an infamous artist named Franco.

Lulu had to admit that the concept Kate came up with was original. 'Killer' Fashion. The whole layout was dark for Spring, which magazines usually did in gardens surrounded by nature. Kate's layout however, was sort of a collection of avant-garde before and afters. Models would be shown in typical fashion, bright prints with light makeup surrounded by beautiful flowers. But the 'after' photos would be shot in dark alleys, in open coffins, or on seedy riverbanks. The models, still in their bright print dresses but with pale, almost blue makeup posing in contorted, lifeless positions surrounded by picture-perfect male models in faceless masks.

No blood would be used, because, as Kate put it, "it would cheapen the aesthetic", but the overall feeling was one of..well..death.

Apparently it was supposed to represent a new direction for fashion layouts. Lulu thought it was a bit too dark for her taste.

"Kate is a genius, how can Franco deny this--I mean I get that the guy doesn't do fashion shoots because they are too commercial, but this concept has never been done in fashion!" Maxie said looking over Lulu's shoulder.

"It kind of creeps me out to tell you the truth," Lulu said shivering.

"Oh Lulu, trust me when you see Franco at work on this shoot--which you will because he WILL agree to this if the last thing I do, you'll see how hypnotic and enigmatic he is," Maxie said.

"Hmm, somehow I don't think he'll have the same effect on me as he did on you," Lulu said. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves, he hasn't agreed to do the shoot yet."

"Yet--that is the operative word!"

"Well, after the negotiating you did with the X-Box people to get Spinelli an advanced version of that new CybeRobo game or whatever it's called, I know you can get the Franco people to agree to this." Lulu said.

"I'm not trying to buy Spinelli's love you know...but I figured I know how much he loves his video games and why not use my position to get him an early Christmas present." Maxie said decidedly.

"Wait a second." Lulu said as she looked at her computer screen. "I just got an e-mail from Franco's assistant."

"Open it! Open it! What does she say?" Maxie said jumping from her seat and running over to Lulu.

"She says he has agreed to the shoot. That's weird. Why is she emailing me? You've been the one in contact with his agency all of this time," Lulu said.

"Who cares! I mean one junior assistant is the same as another in their eyes. This is fantastic! I'm going to call Kate right now and tell her the good news-- This for sure will get me a promotion!" Maxie said.

******

Outside of Kelly's

Dante needed to let loose for the night. He realized that his determination to get Sonny convicted wasn't going anywhere, but at the same time, he was at a loss for a next move. He thought he had done everything possible as far as evidence, but it wasn't cutting it.

It was enough to make him lose his mind. So he decided that for this one night, he was going to enjoy himself, take his mind off of the case momentarily and do something he hadn't done in a long, long time. He needed this for his sanity. If he wanted to stay focused for the rest of the time he was undercover, he needed something to remind him that life wasn't always so dark and full of murderers around the corner.

The weather was reaching that point where at any moment the clouds would unburden themselves with the weight of snow. The air was crisp with the excitement of the season. It was his favorite time of the year and God help him if he wasn't going to enjoy it. At least before his life went straight to hell.

He heard her approach him from behind. As he turned, his burdens seemed to melt off of him at the sight of her face.

"Hey, so you wanted to meet me?" Lulu said, smiling at him.

Lulu took him in. He was wearing a gray-blue long sleeve shirt underneath a black leather jacket, exposed slightly to reveal the standard gold necklace he always seemed to wear. She imagined running her fingers lightly over them after passionate lovemaking, but quickly extinguished that thought from her mind. His eyes looked fiery, a look she wasn't used to seeing on his face. It made her pause for a second and blush at his intensity. It was gone before she knew, and back were the same warm, dancing eyes she was used to.

She was trying to avoid meetings like this, but couldn't seem to help herself. She was in no shape or form ready to be in a relationship with a new guy. Especially one who was undercover trying to take down people who had helped her in the past. But, she was attracted to Dominic...er Dante. And she knew he was going through a hard time right now, from the tension that radiated briefly through his body, she could tell that his reaching out to her was deliberate.

He made her feel light-headed even as he made her laugh wholeheartedly. She tried to suppress the the hot, electricity low in her stomach whenever she was around him but it never worked. They way his eyes crinkled when he smiled made her heart thump. Although she told herself that her hormones were running away with her, she had to admit that it was more than a physical attraction; she admired his strong moral compass and his determination throughout the whole 'taking down Sonny situation'.

She was hesitant, though. He was a risk. Not only was his life at danger from the general mobster lifestyle, but he was risking his cover being blown by seeking her out. Yep, he was a risk and the last time she took a risk falling in love, that person ended up stomping on her heart. It wasn't that Dante reminded her of Johnny in any way-- they were completely different. But she couldn't let him get to a spot where she was vulnerable. She was sure of that.

"Yeah, what are you up to tonight?" He said half-smiling.

"Hmm, nothing really I was going to go home and maybe rent some movies with Maxie." Lulu said.

"Well, just so happens, I'm here to rescue your lame girls-night-in evening." He said coyly. Damn she looked sexy when she was flustered. Wonder how she would look as he made her writhe in bed from his...

"Wowwww. Well, just to let you know, I had a long day at work and I've been assigned to work closely with this reclusive photographer on our photo shoot for the Spring Issue, so you know I kind of wanted to relax." She said defensively.

"Okay, you're 22 right? You're young, beautiful, and energetic. You shouldn't be acting like some old lady renting movies with her ten cats surrounding her on a Friday night." Dante said laughing.

"Way to win me over, really..." Lulu said sarcastically.

"Well, this thing that's happening between us, its about to explode because I have something up my sleeve that you are going to love."

"Oh really? What did you have in mind, Mr. 'My Ego is too big to ask a girl out on a date in a regular way'?" Lulu said half enjoying this and half annoyed that he could get under her skin with his come-ons.

"It's a surprise." He said leading her towards the parking lot.


	3. Chapter 3

Criminal Minds

Chapter 3

**************

An Artist's Lair

In a rustic studio overlooking downtown Port Charles, an evil mind was at work.

On top of worn counters, was a collection of six years of art. Six years of death.

"To think, it all started with you," a voice whispered.

An aged photograph sat propped up against an easel. The photographer looked at his first, truly finished product. The faint glow of her ivory skin stood in contrast to her red, plumped lips. Her hazel eyes open for the world to enter through them. Her long blonde hair tousled with streaks of blood.

****************

Flashback, New York City. November, 2003

She had been so young, but yet so ripe for the picking. She was willing to go to any lengths to get her photo taken by an up and coming photographer. In the dim lights she laughed about the setting-- dark and mysterious like so many photo shoots she had done recently in the city.

"You're gorgeous," he told her again, kissing her neck.

She knew it was a bit unprofessional to have an unscheduled private session with a photographer. Her agency might fire her if they found out. But there was something about Franco that just lured her in. It was his eyes, she decided. They were in themselves a series of contrasts--dark and passionate, with a sense of aloofness and recklessness that excited and frightened her.

She tried to ignore the growing pit at the bottom of her stomach. She had moved to the city two months ago to pursue her dream of becoming a model. Soon after, she signed on to a reputable modeling agency based in SoHo. She tried not to picture her parents disappointed faces when she told them she had dropped out of Michigan State after her third semester. It wasn't that she didn't think she would do well in school. No, her 4.0 GPA her first year was a testament of that. She dropped out because she knew she was wasting time by not pursuing her dream.

"This is a fantastic set up, where do you want me to change?" Arianna asked looking around.

"No costume change required. What color undergarments do you have on?" He asked as he put a new roll of film in his camera.

"Black," she said.

"Perfect. Strip down."

"Boy, you get right down to business don't you?" She laughed nervously, hoping her midwestern accent hadn't shined through.

"Strip."

As she took off her clothes, she wondered if it was too late to make a run for it. She sighed and thought of how humiliating it would be if word got out she had run away from NYC's new "it" photographer.

Instead, she sat in the chair he motioned her towards and looked at the camera.

*****************

Present day, New York City

"AHHHHH!!!!! No, don't come after me. No, no, no, no, no!" Lulu screamed.

"What is wrong with you? Afraid I might get too close?" Dante laughed coming after her.

Lulu tried desperately to get away from him and without falling, but to no avail. In three swift movements, he was behind her, hands on her waist and she tried to steady herself.

"No fair!" she said spinning around. "You obviously have way more experience at this than I do."

"Oh man, seriously you make my response to that statement way too easy." Dante said with a mischievous gleam in his eye. He still had his hands on her waist and though the windchill was reaching new lows, Lulu suddenly found herself growing hot.

"Oh really, hot shot?" Lulu said changing her lighthearted tone to a voice she only used in the bedroom. He was two inches away from her face and she could easily reach up and witness his level of...experience. But before she could do that, she wanted to take him down a notch or two, for funs sake.

"Yes, really." Dante said looking down at her lips.

"You want to prove it?" Lulu asked, seductively licking her lips.

"More than anything."

"Catch me."

With that she took off, leaving him behind to eat his words.

"Hey!" Dante yelled after her.

This time it took him a little longer to catch up to her, but he did and this time his arm swiftly moved behind her back, pulling her body against his in one strong, quick motion. She was laughing and out of breath, until she felt how close his body was to hers. Even through layers of clothing, her stomach was doing backflips.

He looked at her, with wisps of her hair loose around her face and her face flushed from laughter, he thought he'd never seen a more beautiful sight.

"What do you say to hot cocoa? My treat," he said gently.

"Mmm. Now there's an offer I can't refuse," she said still looking up at him, expectantly.

Before she could think another thought, his lips were on hers softly caressing her mouth, his tongue swiftly licked her lips in one fell swoop. But as soon as he started, he was gone too quickly, leaving her with a taste of her own medicine.

She collected herself after a few seconds, hoping her knees wouldn't betray her on the slick ice she was standing on. As she skated to the nearest bench, she watched as others enjoyed the ice rink. On their drive into the city--which she figured was their location after an hour of driving and when they approached the New York City skyline in the foreground--she looked over at Dante's face and realized how much more relaxed he seemed when getting away from Port Charles. She was glad he included her in his little getaway.

The only other time she had been to Central Park was years ago with her mother. Then, they came for a brief stay while Laura worked on business for her cosmetics company. They spent full day exploring the different areas, but the part she loved best was the castle they came across while walking. She imagined herself as a princess overlooking her grounds, looking for her prince. She remembered getting lost in the huge park with her mom by her side, eating ice cream cones and playing hide and seek. It was one of her favorite memories and one of the last ones she had of her mom before she became ill.

She didn't think Dante knew just how perfect this surprise was. She watched a pair of twins, no older than five years old trying to maneuver their skates through layers and bundles of coats and scarves. She was laughing to herself when she felt Dante's gaze on her. As she turned to look at him, with two hot cocoas in hand, his face had an expression on it that she had never seen before. It was like he was making a promise to himself. It turned into a slow smile as he approached her and handed her drink over.

"So, how does it feel to be in my neck of the woods?" He asked her as he sat down. His arm reached behind her as if on automatic and she smiled for what seemed the billionth time in the last three hours.

"Haha, well this isn't exactly Brooklyn you know," Lulu said.

"Ahhh, well you see I can't exactly go to Bensonhurst while I'm undercover," he said. "Too many relatives and too many thugs with screwy loyalties to the mob. But, we're not here to talk about business or my obnoxious family. How's your hot chocolate?"

"Wait a minute, maybe I want to hear about your so-called 'obnoxious' family." Lulu said poking him on the shoulder.

"There's really nothing to tell, I got four uncles all of whom are loud, annoying, and overweight. There's my great Aunt Sofia and my grandma Bianca who are constantly barging into my life whenever I'm at home. Oh, and I have a about a million cousins, half of whose names are Leo, Vinnie, Vito, or Gino. Trust me, when this is all over you'll meet every last one of them," he said without realizing the implication of his words. He was too busy enjoying the view of the city's skyline beyond the park.

This was his favorite ice rink in the city. As a young boy, his mom had taken him here a couple of times ignoring the jeers it earned from her brothers. They hated anything that they thought was too touristy and thought ice skating was left up to girly figure skaters. Dante, however, loved the ice and considered joining his school's hockey league but became too invested in baseball after Mr. Poletti's death to have time for it.

Lulu thought his words over and decided she liked the idea of meeting his family-- though the cynical part of her warned her against feeling this way. For now, she ignored that voice and moved a bit closer to Dante, watching other couples skate in circles, holding hands.

"This was a lot of fun," she said looking up at his face again. "Thank you for 'rescuing' me as you so daftly put it earlier tonight."

"Hey, hey now. Who said the evening is over?" He said softly.

"What do you mean? There's more?" She said sitting up, her eyes widening in surprise.

"We haven't even gotten to the main course."


	4. Chapter 4

"Don't you understand, mom? It doesn't matter that Claudia's dead. I took care of things for the family, just like Jason and Dad would have done," Michael said rolling his eyes. He was a man, and she just couldn't seem to accept that.

"You should be proud of me."

"Michael! Where is this attitude coming from? You know, I thought I had raised you be different than this," Carly said with exasperated tears threatening to stream down her face. She ran her fingers through her hair in frustration.

"I don't have an attitude," he said his voice getting louder with every wrenching word. He suddenly stepped closer to his mother with his finger pointed out.

"You just don't get it," Michael's sharp words cut through the air forcefully, his nostrils flaring. "You don't take me seriously. Nobody ever fucking takes me seriously. But that's all going to change."

Carly took a step back. She had never seen Michael like this. Where was her Mister Man? Her little bundle of joy she had fought so hard for--against the Quartermaines, against AJ? She couldn't see him in front of her.

All she could see was Sonny.

His eyes were gleaming, daring her to say something, anything so he could prove her just how wrong she was. His rage was coming at her like an angry bull and for the slightest of seconds, she was afraid of her own son.

He took a deep breath, not realizing how much he was upsetting his own mother.

"I want what Dad has," his voice cool now, but with a sharp edge. "I want the power he has over people. The control. The respect. I want it all--and if you think you can stop me-- try me."

With that he stalked out of the house, the door slamming behind him.

Carly staggered back to the couch, her hand over her mouth. Her head was dizzy and she felt nauseous from the words Michael threw at her. What was she going to do? What could she do? Her son was becoming unrecognizable and she couldn't control him anymore. She had never felt so helpless.

One tear made the lonely journey down her cheek. For the first time in months, she wasn't afraid for Michael. She wasn't scared of him, either.

No, all she could feel was her heart breaking for him.

*********

The gray skies over New York carried the sins of the inhabitants below. They held the whispers of unconfessed murders-- the excruciating pain of rape victims--the dirty sheets of adulterers. Slowly they unburdened themselves, each sin turning into a unique crystalized shape, as they descended to the ground below.

One fated snowflake seemed destined for her, like a magnet she attracted it in her direction. It spun and danced in the air, and just like that, it landed on the very tip of her nose.

She ran outside the instance she realized it was snowing. She made her wish right there in the middle of the sidewalk, like she had every year since she was three.

He stood by watching her. He was always watching her, and it was getting out of hand. He noticed everything. How her hair always smelled like honeysuckle. How her eyes smirked at him when he approached her. How she twisted her lips to the side right before she made some smart ass reply to him. The way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was getting ready to make a serious point. She had five different smiles, he decided, maybe six. But one of them he only saw when he was around. Dante knew he was overconfident most of the time, cocky even, and that it was considered a flaw by some. But, he would bet his life that Lulu Spencer was smitten with him. Even if she couldn't admit it to herself.

Her 5'4 frame was the most powerful thing he had encountered in his six years as a cop. And the walls she put up around her heart? They were scarier than anything Sonny Corinthos could have in store for him.

"Want to head back inside, Ms. Crazy?" He said holding the door open for her.

"Hey, now, Scrooge. You have to make one too." She said grabbing his hand so he could join her in the middle of the sidewalk. Around them New Yorkers hurried by, eager to get inside somewhere, and avoid the bitter cold that was soon to follow the storm.

"Uh, mind running that by me again?" He said scratching his head. "What do I have to make?"

"A wish! Come on, everybody knows you make a wish on the first snow of the season," she said in her best matter-of-fact voice as she tucked her hair behind her ear. "I just made mine, now it's your turn."

He cleared his throat and played along. "Okay, is this like a birthday wish or can I say it out loud? Here goes, I wish Lulu Spencer would come back inside so I can finish my pizza and beer."

She glared at him.

"Come on, Dante! I'm not kidding. It only takes two seconds. Just make a damn wish!"

"Ooh I like it when you're bossy! Feisty!" He said approaching her.

"Oh no you don't, you are not getting anywhere near me 'til you make that wish." She said, her tone getting serious.

"You know this really makes me wonder what you want me to wish for. I don't know what kind of guy you take me for Lulu, but all I really wanted from this evening was some nice conversation and good food. You on the other hand seem to have ulterior motives, now, I am happy to fulfill---"

"Just. Make. A. Wish." Lulu said crossing her arms and leaning on her left foot. She shook her head at him.

"Ok, ok. You win."

He paused for a second and thought about what he wanted most in the world. Then he turned to Lulu and smiled.

"Now, can I finish my beer?"

* * *

Morgan Corinthos sat on the top step of the staircase. He didn't want to move, want to breathe after the encounter he'd just seen. There were so many things the people around him assumed--that he had no idea what went on in the "grown up" world, that he could be spoken to in patronized tones. But what they hadn't taken into account was that the behavior of so-called grown ups never escaped him. He would never let them know that he knew everything that went on.

He remained silent...for their sakes.

But now he was scared, his heart was thumping and worry was taking the lead over any other feelings. His mother sat visibly shaken on the couch. The yelling had woken him up and he had checked on Jocelyn before taking his current place on the stairwell. His baby sister was sleeping soundly, but he was scared that he would never sleep again.

Where had Michael gone? Would he be ok? Should he go downstairs and console his mother?

"Mom...?" Morgan said after a few moments. Carly heard her younger son's voice and knew immediately he was on the verge of tears.

"Oh honey! Are you ok? Did we wake you up?" Carly said running over to the base of the stairs as she waited for Morgan to finish descending them.

"Mom, what's wrong with Michael? Is he coming back?" Morgan said taking control of his voice. He had to be brave for his mother.

"Morgan, honey, I'm so sorry you had to see that." Carly said in anguish, taking the ten year old in to her arms. "Yes! Baby, Michael will be back, we just had a disagreement, and Michael was upset but he'll be back before you know it."

She tried to put conviction in her words, but they sounded frail even to her.

************

"So is Luke going to be pissed that I'm bringing his cupcake back home so late?" Dante said teasing Lulu.

They were heading back to Dante's car, which was currently parked in a parking garage on Canal Street. It was still snowing out and Dante was hoping to make it to Port Charles before the roads became too dangerous.

"Shut up! You know I live with Maxie, I haven't lived with my dad in God knows how long. Geez, I should have never told you about my Dad's nickname for me, ammunition you definitely don't need." Lulu told him some childhood stories over the best pizza she had ever had and let Luke's little nickname for her slip. By the way, who knew the best pizza in New York City would be in Chinatown and not Little Italy?

"Aww, but I think it's so cute, cupcake!" Dante said unlocking the doors to his SUV.

"Agghh. You are so frustrating sometimes," Lulu said getting into the passengers seat.

"I frustrate you?" Dante said with a huge smile on his face. "Excellent."

As he turned the car on, he put the radio on his favorite classic rock station and looked over at Lulu. They locked eyes and suddenly the mood in the car shifted. An electric charge hung over them like humidity and neither of them moved.

Lulu was a statue--afraid to move in her seat and risk the moment pass but terribly aware of how ridiculous she must look....and he well...he was looking at her like a someone who was dying of thirst in the desert. The only sound in the car was the annoying radio announcer in the background.

"....and if you're thinking about going anywhere near upstate New York tonight, fair warning, Highway 129 AND 82 have been closed by NYPD because of horrendous road conditions. Highways are backed up for miles and wrecks are piling up. Police say to stay put if in the city and seek warm shelter for the night. New York hasn't seen blizzard conditions like these in a decade. Up next, a Jimi Hendrix classic--Angel."


	5. Chapter 5

Criminal Minds Ch. 5

"Spinelli!! Pay attention!" Maxie said for the billionth time. "Don't you get that my career in fashion is being unfairly hijacked?"

She was prancing back and forth behind Spinelli, every so often looking over his shoulder to ensure that no footage of her and Franco would pop up on his screen. Her nerves were shot, to say the least, and she had to make sure Spinelli never found out about her regrettable one night stand with the dark artist.

"While the fair Maximista certainly has troubling news of the upmost concern about her do-worthy post at Crimson, the Jackal must concentrate on finding the illusive Franco for Stone Cold. This is of extreme importance and the Jackal cannot let him down," Spinelli said not looking away once from his computer screen.

"Ughhhhh! Spinelli, this is so not fair. Please look at me. A. Franco only gets in touch with people on his own time and B. Haven't you heard a word I've said?!" Maxie said taking Spinelli's computer away from him.

"Why yes, the Jackal always pays attention to what my fair Maximista has to say, and I understand the serious implications of the Original Blonde One obtaining the crucial Spring Fashion photo shoot, but what the Jackal does not understand is what that has to do with my pending investigation," Spinelli said looking up at Maxie from Jason's leather couch.

"Spinelli, okay what I'm about to tell you will solve a lot of your problems, but it has to be met with certain conditions," Maxie said sighing deeply.

"Speak fair one, the Jackal is all ears."

"Ok, the photographer that agreed to do the shoot next week is in fact Franco himself."

"Oh my, if what the fair Maximista says is true, this may be the news the Jackal needs to break to Stone Cold so that he may track down this Franco character," Spinelli said springing up from his seat.

"Yes! That's what I've been saying all along. But, Spinelli, if Jason is right about this Franco character then I want you to promise me that you will under no circumstances meet with this creeper," Maxie said pulling out her best pout. "I cannot bear to have my dear Jackal hurt or worse."

"My fair Maximista's worry is most noted. The Jackal promises to keep himself out of harms way."

"Good. That's good," Maxie said as relief swept momentarily through her body. Now, if Lulu would just answer one of the million texts she had sent her tonight, maybe then Maxie wouldn't be so worried about the premature wrinkles this stress would cause to her complexion. What the hell was Lulu doing that was so damn important tonight?

* * *

Lulu wasn't crazy about this situation.

It wasn't that she was scared of Dante or anything like that. No, she'd just had a wonderful evening with the guy and she liked hanging out with him. But here she was, in a fancy New York hotel being forced to spend the night with him.

It could be worse though, right? I mean, think about starving kids in Africa--you're in a much better predicament than them, she told herself.

She stood by and watched as he checked them in. It was the third hotel they tried and they finally found one with vacancy. Apparently, this blizzard was the real thing and a lot of people were forced into staying in the city for the night.

Her hands didn't know what to do with themselves. They straightened her coat for the umpteenth time, ran through her hair--now damp from snow that had settled there and melted, and wrung together as Dominic paid for their room.

"I'm sorry sir, the only room we have available has a king-sized bed. No more double rooms tonight, I'm afraid," the concierge told Dante after looking at his screen for what seemed like eternity.

Why hadn't she had more to drink at dinner? Maybe then she wouldn't be so worried about what her hands were doing. She had to find something to keep her mind off of tonight, off of what she thought he thought was probably going to happen.

Well if he's thinking any funny business, he's got another thing coming, Lulu told herself again. You are a strong, single, independent woman, Lulu--No means no.

With her new found self-confidence, she strolled right up to the front desk and smiled at Dante.

"Everything ok?" she asked.

"Just dandy," he answered with a smile matching hers.

"Fantastic!" Lulu said as she spotted a bowl of candy canes on the desk. "Ooh, I love these!"

She grabbed one and removed the package just as the concierge handed the hotel key over to Dante.

"Room 3008, I hope you enjoy your stay."

Dante and Lulu headed towards the elevator and Dante pressed the "30" button. The elevator doors closed on them and both Dante and Lulu shifted on their feet. Suddenly all of Dante's senses heightened in the enclosed space. He was enveloped by the honeysuckle smell of her hair, he could sense her fidgeting right next to him. Finally, he took a sideways glance at Lulu who seemed extremely preoccupied with the candy cane in her mouth. He watch as her red-stained lips closed around the white and red candy, and it took all of his energy not to groan right then and there. Her fingers held the other end of the candy cane and pushed it further into her mouth. Dante watched as her tongue made a quick dart around the sugary piece as her hand pulled the candy a few millimeters out of her mouth again.

He gaped at her lips.

In and out went the candy cane.

Dante sighed and tore his eyes away, looking up at the floor indicator. Eighth floor!!! This had to be the slowest elevator ride in all of history.

In and out.

Damn it, don't look Dante, don't look man it's just going to make this all worse. He told himself over and over.

In and out.

Ding!

"Oh thank you Jesus!!" Dante exclaimed out loud stepping out of the elevator quickly.

"What is your problem?" Lulu said confused as to what had just transpired.

* * *

Carly tucked Morgan into bed that night not knowing where her firstborn was at the moment. Michael hadn't answered any of her calls to his cellphone and Jax had done a quick sweep of the main streets of the town, but hadn't seen Michael's car in any of the popular teen hangouts, Jake's or Kelly's.

Carly knew that every young man had a rebellious phase, but Michael's situation was so much worse than just simple teenage rebellion. The fact that Morgan had been affected tonight made her decision for her, and Jax had agreed. Come Monday morning, she was going to call Lucky and put an end to this whole thing.

She had spoken to Diane and was informed that at the most, she and Jax would have to do community service for their obstruction of justice charge and that Michael would most likely be mandated to a psychiatrist to deal with the situation. Under state law, Carly would be held accountable for their actions regarding Michael but considering the circumstances and especially Carly's condition at the time of Claudia's death, they would probably receive no worse than a slap on the wrist.

What's more, Diane was going to ensure that judge Stevenson would be assigned to the case and he had a record for being lenient when in came to juvenile cases.

Carly looked joined Jax in their bed and looked up at the ceiling. For the first time in a long time, she began to pray.

* * *

"It's so beautiful," Lulu said as she looked out to the lights that shone just beyond the hotel room she and Dante were currently staying in. The decor of the hotel room was completely different from the MetroCourt in Port Charles. It was more "zen" if that was at all the appropriate word to describe the ambiance of their room. Spacious without being pretentious, the room was welcoming while not becoming homey. It was modern but not off-putting.

Dante joined her in front of the window that overlooked the snow-covered buildings of NYC and glanced over at her. Their floor was situated so they had a pretty amazing view of the city night below and the red, green and white lights that dominated the city only accentuated the mood of the season.

"It is pretty remarkable," he said not once looking out the window.

Lulu looked at him and blushed at the intensity his eyes had suddenly shot out. It was clear, they were out of jokes for the evening. Her phone vibrated once again from her purse.

She studied him as she stepped away from the window and took a seat on the plush cream chaise lounge nearby. Quickly, she put her phone on silent, just as he had done with his moments before. Her feet were killing her. So much for the leather ankle boots. Their killer 4 inch heels were great in theory but her Chuck high tops sounded so much more like heaven right now. She unzipped them and took them off, then placed them off to the side.

He was still by the window, and had turned his gaze to the city beyond them.

"How do you do it?" Lulu asked, noting how pensive he had become in the past minutes. She massaged her feet hoping to relieve some of the tension there.

"Do what?" He moved over to the bed and sat there looking at her.

"Stay sane." Lulu said gently. "This whole situation, with your mother, Sonny, Johnny, Carly... I'm not judging you. I just want to know, how do you not lose it?"

Dante exhaled quickly and looked down at his hands. "I've come close a couple of times."

She remained quiet as she waited for him to continue.

"I know you're close to everyone I'm trying to get information from, so I understand why it's been hard for you to keep this secret," Dante said as his gaze remained down.

"I don't want you to take this the wrong way, but it's pretty damn clear to me that Sonny needs to pay for the things he's done, the wrongs he's committed. I know you don't trust the justice system, but for me, it's been the one constant that I could count on all my years undercover." Dante said looking up at her. "Until recently."

"Does it take it's toll, pretending to be someone else for months at a time?" Lulu asked again. She stopped the ministrations on her feet. "How do you have so much patience? If it were me, well let's just say I'm glad its not me."

"Yeah, well the stipend's a pretty good incentive," Dante said but the joke fell flat. He shrugged. "Lulu to tell you the truth, I ask myself those same questions every single day. I still don't have an answer."

She ran her fingers through her hair. The snow had destroyed the time she had spent straightening it this morning and now it looked like a wild mane, surrounding her shoulders, cascading down her back. He looked at the deep red polish on her toes and noticed that it matched her lipstick. The smallest things about her undid him.

"Can I ask you a question?" Dante said, his tone perking up.

"Shoot."

"What did you wish for tonight?" He asked earnestly.

Lulu laughed. It was just like him to turn this around on her.

"Can't tell you. Bound by the rules of wish-making," she said simply.

"Ahh. Ok, can I ask you another question?" He asked getting up from his spot on the bed.

"Go for it..." Lulu said hesitantly.

"Why are you so afraid?"

"Afraid of what? I don't know what you're talking about." Lulu said suddenly getting defensive. She got up from her seat and walked over to the window facing him with her arms crossed. They were facing each other with only the bed between them.

"I think you do know what I'm talking about." Dante said quietly. He wanted to be careful, he didn't want to push her away. But just like he was stuck in his case against Sonny, he was also stuck in his next move with her.

"No, no I don't," she said getting annoyed. She shifted her weight to her left foot and tucked a lock of her hair behind her right ear. "Care to elaborate?"

"Getting close to anyone...I don't mean me specifically."

"What-- have you already gotten tired of my "I don't believe in love" spiel?" Lulu said with a dry laugh. "It's not going to change anytime soon."

Dante sighed, ran his fingers through his damp hair and chose his next words carefully.

"Then why are you here with me?"

Lulu's face flushed with anger. "You arrogant, self-centered-- Have you considered that maybe I'm trapped here because of the damn weather outside? Maybe I just like your company and that's as far as it goes. And maybe your big ego can't handle that. Maybe I just feel compelled to hang out with you because I feel sorry for you!"

"Bullshit, Lulu," Dante said raising his voice to match hers. He never lost his temper but her transparent lies were getting old. Her pushing him away was getting old. This game was getting old and he couldn't play any longer. "Don't lie to me."

Lulu couldn't think about anything except how angry he was making her. Tears of fury were brimming in her eyes and she'd be damned if he made her cry. She forced them back and lifted her chin.

"It is the way it is, Dante. I'm sorry if you can't accept it, but that's the way I feel." Lulu said sternly, arms closed, locked.

"You're fucking right." He said angrily. "I can't accept it."

And then he was everywhere. He jumped the bed in one quick bound and pushed her against the window, his hand cradled the back of her head to cushion the blow. The cool pane absorbed through her black, silk blouse and hit her back in a flash. His mouth came down on hers, crushing his lips against hers. His body was a hot contrast to the cool from the glass window. She felt dizzy from emotion and couldn't understand what had shifted. His mouth contorted over hers as his tongue dashed out and begged for entrance. He was making his point, she knew this. She wanted to push him away, slap him away from her, make him wish he had never crossed her.

Instead, she opened her mouth and his tongue assaulted her. It dove in to explore what she had to offer and he moved his body closer to her, his hips crushing her abdomen, forcing her to heave heavy breaths. Her candy cane and the taste of pale ale mixed together to form a new poison, and she knew she was addicted. Her hands found their rightful place on his back, his neck, his hair. He kept his on her hips, driving them closer leaving no room for misunderstandings. His lips were caressing her neck now, finding its curves and crevices. He was memorizing her: her taste, her warmth, her touch. He trailed a warm wet path to her decolletage, kissing her there softly, weaving her into him, convincing her this was the way they were supposed to be. His fingers massaged her scalp and he gently tugged at the nape of her hair.

His hands wandered and skimmed the skin between her skinny jeans and her soft, silk blouse. Her stomach did backflips and a wanting she didn't know could exist started between her legs. Lulu felt like she was on the brink of some new discovery, some new adventure lay before her and she wanted to jump forward with it. But her sanity was on the brink, too. He was driving her to the edge of it and she didn't know if she would ever find her way back.

But then, she felt nothing but air and emptiness.

He stood five feet from her, breathing heavy; his lips red from their kisses. He looked down at the ground and formed a fist with his hand.

"I...I'm sorry."

Lulu stood motionless. She could still feel him on her.

"I'm not."

He looked at her and smiled.

This time, she rushed to him and kissed him. All of her fears, doubts and worries vanished in his presence again. It was like his kisses were the medicine she had been searching for all of this time. And hell yeah, she was scared, but it felt too good to deny this, it would be wrong to deny this. This kiss was different. It didn't prove a point, it was just easy. She wanted to make it better for him, too. She wanted to do the same thing for him that he was doing to her.

Their tongues danced together like old lovers reconnecting. It was a slow build, but it was worth the wait. He shifted the angle of his mouth and entered deeply, making the kiss frantic. His left hand grasped her hair tightly while his right explored her back. She couldn't seem to get close enough, so she led them back to the window, her back pressed against the cool surface again. His breathing was becoming labored and she at once realized he was still wearing his coat. She ran both of her hands up the hard plane of his chest and enjoyed the rock hard feeling against the palms of her hand. At once, she lifted the coat back and with a hard plop, it landed on the floor somewhere.

He resumed his attack on her neck, but the sensation of her hands running up and down his arms were driving him crazy. With one hand, he lifted her right leg up and placed it behind his back, lifting her and pointedly placed his hip bone at her center. She broke their kiss and gasped into his ear. The sound urged him on, and he sucked on her neck. Pleasure spiked through Lulu and she rocked her hips against his, hoping to increase the feeling. Dante grabbed her butt to gain more leverage and his other hand found her breast. He rocked his hips, while his thumb found her nipple through her shirt and bra. She met his lips again and pulled his hair, desperate for something, anything, she didn't know what.

He rocked his hips against her center harder and heard her cry out again. He wanted to make that noise happen again and again, it awoke something in him, a primal feeling arose and with one quick movement he took her shirt off, painfully aware that her breathing made her breasts rise and fall against his chest. She moved her hands beneath his shirt and scratched him as he moved them towards the bed. The lace in her bra scratched against his shirt as he shifted her on the bed and then he kneeled over her, bringing his mouth to her bellybutton, causing her hips to buck wildly. Her hair laid fanned out beneath her head and her eyes rolled back in pleasure. He looked down at her and found himself melting. He ran his hands against her breasts again, then down her body, down her waist to the button of her jeans. He unzipped the tight pants, which were damp from the snow, and peeled them off her legs. He kissed her ankles, her calfs, her knees. He went back to her and as he did, her smooth legs brushed by his ribs on either side and he found himself between them. He kissed her wildly, his passion was taking over him but he wanted to see hers take over her whole body.

She ran her hands behind his back again and took off the offending barrier of his shirt. He could feel her, skin to skin and the electricity that pulsated between them made them both shiver. As he kissed her neck again, his hand found its way between them until it was at the crucial fork in the road where her panties met her thighs. He felt her excitement there and rubbed the edge of her panty until she was panting for more. He let his lips travel down to the valley between her breasts as his middle finger bi-passed the silky cloth and made its way inside of her. He moved his finger up and down, deep and shallow, circling her core. His movements caused her to writhe on the bed, her eyes rolling back in pleasure, her lips uttering non-sensicals that only he understood. Lulu didn't know where she was. This was a high she hadn't felt before, an unchartered island where she didn't know the rules but knew she wanted to break them. She felt reckless passion overtake her, and she couldn't remember how she had gotten there. Couldn't remember her own name.

"Lulu," Dante groaned. Yes that was it. He twirled his finger again and Lulu felt herself being twined harder and harder. She rocked her hips without abandoned as he added a second finger, and his mouth quickly moved to her breast, biting her there all at once. "Yes," she whispered. Her whimpered sounds broke the last barrier and she shuddered in his hands. Her body overtaken by quivers, she gripped his fingers tightly inside of her, until they subsided.

Quickly she shoved his jeans down for round two. He reached behind him to find a condom in his back pocket, and then behind her to remove her bra. She laid back down on the bed and raised her hips, moving down her panties before throwing them across the room. She watched him as he worked the condom down his length, and a spike of wanting ran down her once more. He looked down at her and saw her pert nipples greet him. He kissed her chest and moved to the valley between her breasts once more. As he positioned himself over her, they both looked at each other in the eye and felt the same electric charge they had earlier in the car, the same electric charge that seemed to appear whenever they were around each other. This time however, it was being indulged. They were diving in, both set for the ride.

He moved his mouth over to her right breast and took it into his mouth, playing with her nipple against his tongue. The roughness of his tongue sent pleasure from her chest to her core, and he finished his ministrations on that breast to continue on the other. She arched her back to bring him closer and as she did, he slipped his hand to the small of her back and positioned himself at her entrance. All at once he entered her and Lulu cried out his name. Slowly, he drew back, his mouth still on her breast, sucking hard and filled her up deeper as Lulu's hands gripped at his hair. She crossed her legs behind his back, bringing him closer still and enjoying the sensation of having him inside of her, working her, filling her. Dante sat up, bringing her with him and she and him worked out a rhythm that matched beat for beat. Her breasts heaved up and down against his chest as Dante moved his hands down to her hips to bring her down on his manhood harder each time. Their lovemaking became frantic, both grasping at the other, wanting to make it together. Lulu sank her mouth down on his and the reunion of their tongues made their bodies sing. Dante's hips began to make frantic movements, rubbing against Lulu's bead, he was so close, and then as he released himself, he laid her down once more deepening his thrusts, so that she was right behind him all the way.

******************

Carly opened her eyes and immediately knew something was wrong. A creeping feeling crawled into her stomach and she sat up to look at the clock. It was five fifteen in the morning. Without waking Jax, she pulled the covers off of her and grabbed the robe from the chair across the room.

As she made her way down the hallway, the feeling got worse, overtaking her and making her shake all over. She opened Michael's room and found him in bed, snoring soundly. What time he had made it home was a mystery to her, but he was glad he was there. Next was Jocelyn's room, the baby was still sleeping, though it would be an hour or so when she woke up, ready for her bottle.

As she reached Morgan's room, awareness ran through her, an instinct, a pain coursed through her body. She opened the door and stepped into the dark room. Everything was in place, nothing was disturbed, but there on the bed, where Morgan should have been was a bump covered up by the covers. As Carly got closer, her heart began to beat faster, faster. She held one hand out, fingers shaking until she reached the duvet.

She pulled the covers back and screamed.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N

Hi all, this chapter is shorter mainly because a longer one is coming later this weekend. I had a lot of trouble with this one so I would really love your opinions on it. I originally had this posted on the Dante/Lulu site and wanted to open it up for more readers on this site, so I hope y'all are enjoying it. Thanks for all your wonderful insights--PLEASE keep them coming...even all you wonderful lurkers out there.

Oh, so I hope y'all don't think I'm some dark and sinister person with this story. In all actuality, I just really like shows like CSI and Criminal Minds where they explore both criminal and victim. I'm really just recent grad, 22 year old trying to develop my LOVE of writing.

Also, if anyone wants to know one of the main inspirations behind Lulu and Dante's love scenes in the last chapter and part of this one, PLEASE listen to John Mayer's new album Battle Studies, particularly the song "Edge of Desire"---AMAZINGNESS right there.

All right, enough of my ramblings...Happy readings!!

-LO

* * *

It was dark and she was running and out of breath, but sheer adrenaline was urging her on. She had to find him. She had to explain before it was too late.

But she was.

As she got to the door the gun had already gone off and her heart instantly wrenched. She stepped in and collapsed on the floor. His blood was dripping down the walls.

* * *

She suddenly held on tighter and Dante was awakened. As he opened his eyes, he grinned in the dark.

Lulu was currently wrapped around him, pressing her more intimate body parts into his chest and legs. It took all of his strength not to take her one more time right then and there. Instead, he looked down at her and noticed his neck was wet.

He shifted his position in the bed and laid her head down on the pillow next to him. Lulu's cheeks were covered in tears. Dante frowned. Whatever spell she was under was causing her face to look anguished. He placed himself over her, his elbows on either side of her and gently ran his thumbs over her face to wipe away the tears.

Lulu woke up and looked at him. She was confused as to where she was and what had just happened.

"Hey," Dante whispered above her, his thumbs still drawing small circles on her cheeks.

"Hey," Lulu said, biting her lip and sitting up a bit. "I can't remember what I was dreaming."

"You seem really upset," Dante wanted to ask her if it had anything to do with sleeping with him but a part of him was afraid of how she would answer.

"Yeah, I know," Lulu said fully sitting up, sheets tucked under her arms. Dante laid down next to her, facing sideways, his left hand skimmed slightly over her exposed back and Lulu shivered, looking down at him.

"Weird," Lulu said smiling just a tad, remembering everything that had happened just hours earlier.

"Hmm," Dante hummed back to her, as if reading her thoughts. He looked up.

"I never cry," Lulu said. "Never."

"Why not?" He said running his hand down her spine again. She was sitting, arms hugging her knees lightly, her face was laying on her knees and she looked at him sideways. Her whole back was exposed to him, the only light in the room was the moon hitting her features gracefully.

She leaned back to the bed and mimicked his position. They were both laying now, facing each other, hands placed under their heads for support. His face was only inches from hers.

"Waste of time," she said simply. "Only reminds me of bad times."

"Lulu," Dante said reaching his hand to skim over the sheets over the curve of her hip. His ministrations were driving her crazy.

"Hmm," she said, her voice betraying her thoughts, her eyes closed.

"I can't believe you took advantage of me tonight," he said with a wicked grin on his face.

Her eyes opened in surprise and she reached around to playfully hit him on the arm.

"Ouch! What was that for?"

"Dante, I think you need to work on your pillow talk," Lulu said and laying back on her pillow. "Seriously not your forte."

"Oh really, cupcake?" Dante said, moving so that he was over her again, elbows on either side of her. "And what do you think my strong point is?"

"I can't let you be privy to such information," Lulu smirked and then in a mock serious tone said--"For security purposes."

"Security purposes!" Dante chuckled over her.

"Yes, there might not be room enough for me and your big head in this room if I tell you," Lulu reached up with her finger and traced the tattoo on his chest. It was about the sexiest piece of body art she had ever seen. "It's a real concern of mine."

"Well, how 'bout I show you what I think my strongest point is?" Dante murmured into her ear.

Lulu shivered and arched her back, she was wet from the moment she woke up and saw him above her. She reached her arms around and ran them up and down his back.

"Show me," she purred.

This time, Dante was fluid on top of her. He kissed her deeply, but steady, turning her on but controlling the kiss so it didn't escalade right away. He reached and pulled her leg up, allowing him to press against her entrance and he almost yelped at how wet she was.

"Lulu, I have to get a condom," he said almost panting.

"I'm on the pill," she said grabbing his ass and making him go in an inch deeper.

Lulu's hands were still on his backside and she was rubbing against him insistently. He grabbed her hands forcefully and pinned them on the bed above her head, looking at her with fire in his eyes. Lulu couldn't handle the emotions stirring within her, part of her wanted to run away in the cold and forget this night was happening. She couldn't handle his look, it held far more promise than she had ever hoped for, more than she thought was possible.

She had never hated and loved the power someone had over her at the same time. In this instance, she was going back on the things she had believed for months now. Part of her knew this night was a dream, it wasn't reality. Soon, Dante would close his case against Sonny and leave her. He would come back to this city and forget all about her.

"Dante, I have to have you now," Lulu whispered, her voice coming out with far more desperation than she had shown in years.

Wordlessly, Dante entered her and at once set her body on fire.

* * *

He heard what sounded like an animal being tortured and sat up in bed. Quickly, he realized Carly's side of the bed was completely empty. Seconds later, he heard Jocelyn's rioting screams from her nursery. He shot out of bed and he noticed how smooth he was being in spite of his jarring surroundings.

He reached Morgan's room and heard Michael rushing behind him. "What's going on?!" Michael shouted from behind.

Jax ignored the question and barged into the youngest Corinthos' room. He saw everything in slow motion. Noticing for the first time the dark blue Morgan had opted to paint his room, contrasting with stark white--just like Yankee stadium. Everything in the room was so neat, had Jax ever seen Morgan's room messy? Something about that thought struck him as funny as his eyes finally found the source of the scream.

There before him was a sight that would haunt him for years to come.

Carly was on the floor, her lavender robe around her like a puddle, and she was shaking in hysterics. She was like a rag doll, her legs straight in front of her, sitting in front of Morgan's bed. Her eyes were wild, looking up at him, filled with tears and something much more animalistic. Her mouth was opened, it midst of sobs that were wrecking her body.

She held her hands formed in fists in front of her face, and within them, poking through her knuckles, were locks of Morgan's dark hair.


	7. Chapter 7

At the Jax household, Lulu sat on the sofa with a dazed look on her face. She felt numb. How had everything suddenly shifted on its axis? How had her world turned upside down?

She hadn't seen Dante in almost two days. Hadn't heard from him at all. Didn't know where he was or where his search for Morgan had taken him. Lulu briefly wondered if his search had taken him out of the country.

Then there was Carly.

Lulu's forearm hair stood as she remembered that morning in the hotel.

She had woken up with Dante's arms around her and as she nuzzled him, he quickly flipped her over to bite her shoulder.

"Someone's feeling sassy this morning," Lulu said in between giggles.

"Actually, I'm ravenous." Dante said in a low growl.

"Oooh SAT word," Lulu said turning to face him. "What are you hungry for?"

It was a completely innocent question, but coming out of her lips, it was honey pouring all over his body.

He began kissing down her stomach, making her breath catch in her throat, and then began the sweetest attack on her senses. As she thrashed in the bed, Dante wondered if it would always be like this. If he could fall further into somebody, feel such happiness and intensity all at once. His stomach kept flipping in a spontaneous dance he never knew it could do and at once he knew he could live all the days of his life and never find another woman like her.

****

How blissful she'd been one second, only to notice the blinking light on her cell phone the next. Then, she spotted the endless number of missed calls that sent an immediate pit to the bottom of her stomach, followed by the bile rising in her throat as she heard Jax's description of what they had found in Morgan's bed.

Dante had stayed in the shower and with a towel wrapped around his hips, his hair distributing droplets everywhere as he walked out with a huge grin on his face. Then cut to a look of confusion and fear as he saw Lulu's pale face and shaking hands.

The coffee she had made for them minutes earlier sat aside unremembered as Lulu uttered the words that made Dante's heart race.

"Morgan's missing."

* * *

Dante had warned Lulu he would probably stay out of touch because he needed to focus all of his attention on finding Morgan. At first, Lulu resisted. This was her cousin they were talking about, and she wanted to help find him in any way possible. But Dante insisted that Lulu should be helping Carly instead and eventually, Lulu agreed that it was best for her to stay and try to keep Carly calm.

The toll and stress of the last day had aged Carly. The bags under her eyes showed her complete state of exhaustion, but like always, the blonde's fighting spirit shone through her eyes. She'd be dead before she gave into the idea that her youngest son would be anything but okay.

Lulu stayed over at the Jax household to offer Carly her support and to help take care of baby Jocelyn. The house felt empty though. It was a feeling that Lulu had only felt one time before, at Shadybrook. Those were days that she seemed to never think about before but the situation at hand was beginning to remind her of the nightmare she had gone through only a year and a half earlier.

She stood in the kitchen waiting for the teapot to go off, and again worried about Dante. Her last conversation with him had been after they had found out how Carly had found Morgan's hair on his pillow in his bedroom. How moments later, he had called Sonny and Jason--who were in the midst of finding leads that would lead them to Morgan's whereabouts.

They had few clues as to who would be after Morgan, they later told Dante. With the annihilation of Joey Limbo, the last threat to the Corinthos organization had been wiped out so this kidnapping had been plotted by some new enemy. A new adversary meant a virtual unknown sphere of what motive, if any this person had against Sonny or Jason.

Jason visited Zacharra at the prison within hours of Morgan's disappearance but found that the old man had been under heavy watch for the last couple of weeks by the guards. He had gotten no mail and no phone calls since Johnny's last recorded visit. That ruled out the Zacharras.

To make things worse, the police became involved when a security alarm was triggered after whoever had broken in had bypassed the alarm and set so it would go off after one hour. When they arrived, they took all the evidence they could but had no solid leads. They issued an amber alert for Morgan and within minutes his picture was splattered all over the TV.

Lulu sighed as she thought all of this over, and then realized the water in the tea pot was beginning to boil over. She quickly took the teapot off the burner and poured the hot water in delicate, flower-covered tea cups. As she put the chamomile bags into the water, the aroma of the liquid somewhat stilled her jumping nerves. She had to focus on how to help Carly and not what Dante could be facing. That was her role right now, to ensure Carly remained strong throughout this whole thing because if Carly couldn't, the rest of them were doomed to fail.

She walked into the living room where Carly had finally fallen asleep. Lulu's cousin had not slept the night before, waiting to hear news from Jax, Sonny, Jason, or Lucky. It seemed half of Port Charles was searching for her young son. Jocelyn was upstairs asleep and Michael was staying quiet in his room, an unusual move for the rebellious 17 year old.

The front door suddenly opened and Lucky walked in. With wide eyes, Carly awoke from her brief slumber.

"Hey sis," Lucky said quietly walking through the front door and foyer. "Carly, we have a development you should know about."

* * *

Morgan Corinthos had never felt frightened for himself, had never felt alone before, so this was a first for the ten year old.

He wasn't sure where he was or how he had gotten there. He looked around him and realized the van looked like Mrs. Curothers' except without chairs in the back. He knew right away he would much rather have been in Mrs. Curothers' smelly old van on the way to Karate with his friends than here where he was. He looked to the front and saw that a strange man he didn't know was driving the car.

"S-s-sir, where are we going?" Morgan asked with concerned lacing his voice.

The man in the front seat cleared his throat, but remained silent.

* * *

"I don't understand, I saw what that monster left behind, Lucky!" Carly said, her voice hoarse from crying and desperation.

"Carly, this might be a great breakthrough in the case," Lucky reiterated. "The hair you found in Morgan's bed did not match other samples we found on his pillow."

"Then whose hair...?" Lulu said, feeling bile rise up in her throat for the millionth time since yesterday.

"The hair matched the DNA of the missing Claudia Corinthos."


End file.
